January 23
Events * 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor. *1368 - In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries. *1510 - Henry VIII of England, then 18 years old, appears incognito in the lists at Richmond, and is applauded for his jousting before he reveals his identity. *1533 - Anne Boleyn, mistress of Henry VIII of England, discovers herself pregnant. *1546 - Having published nothing for eleven years, Francois Rabelais brings out his sequel to Gargantua and Pantagruel: the Tiers Livre. *1556 - The deadliest earthquake in history, the Shaanxi earthquake, hits Shaanxi province, China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000. *1570 - The assassination of regent James Stewart throws Scotland into civil war. *1571 - The Royal Exchange opens in London. *1579 - The Union of Utrecht forms a Protestant republic in the Netherlands. *1656 - Blaise Pascal published the first of his Lettres provinciales. *1719 - The Principality of Liechtenstein is created within the Holy Roman Empire. *1789 - Georgetown College becomes the first Roman Catholic college in the United States (Washington). *1793 - Russia and Prussia partition Poland. *1849 - Elizabeth Blackwell is awarded her M.D. by the Medical Institute of Geneva, becoming the United States' first woman doctor. *1855 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, a crossing made today by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge. *1870 - In Montana, U.S. cavalrymen kill 173 Indians, mostly women and children, in the Marias Massacre. *1879 - Anglo-Zulu War: Battle of Rorke's Drift ends. *1897 - Elva Zona Heaster found dead in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The resulting murder trial of her husband was perhaps the only case in United States history where the alleged testimony of a ghost helped secure a conviction. *1899 - Emilio Aguinaldo was sworn in as President of the First Philippine Republic. *1904 - Ålesund Fire: Norwegian coastal town Ålesund is devastated by fire, leaving 10,000 people homeless and one person dead. Kaiser Wilhelm II funds the rebuilding of the town in Jugendstil architecture. *1907 - Charles Curtis of Kansas becomes the first Native American US Senator. *1912 - The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague. *1920 - The Netherlands refuses to surrender ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to the Allies. *1924 - Bal Thackeray - The leader of Indian Politician Party Shiv Sena was born *1937 - In Moscow, 17 leading Communists go on trial accused of participating in a plot led by Leon Trotsky to overthrow Joseph Stalin's regime and assassinate its leaders. *1941 - Charles Lindbergh testifies before the U.S. Congress and recommends that the United States negotiate a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler. *1943 - World War II: British forces capture Tripoli in Libya from the Nazis. * 1943 - Jewish-led Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. * 1943 - World War II: Australian and American forces finally defeat the Japanese army in Papua. This turning point in the Pacific War marks the beginning of the end of Japanese aggression. * 1943 - Duke Ellington plays at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the first time. *1945 - World War II: Karl Dönitz launches Operation Hannibal. *1950 - The Knesset passes a resolution that states Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. *1960 - The bathyscaphe [[Wikipedia:Bathyscaphe Trieste|USS Trieste]] breaks a depth record by descending to 10,911 m (35,798 feet)in the Pacific Ocean. *1964 - The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting the use of poll taxes in national elections, is ratified. *1968 - North Korea seizes the [[Wikipedia:USS Pueblo (AGER-2)|USS Pueblo]], claiming the ship violated their territorial waters while spying. *1973 - President Richard Nixon announces that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam. * 1973 - A volcanic eruption devastates Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar chain of islands off the south coast of Iceland. *1978 - Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, believed to be damaging to earth's protective ozone layer. *1985 - O.J. Simpson becomes the first Heisman Trophy winner elected to the Football Hall of Fame. *1986 - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first members: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. *1996 - The first version of the Java programming language is released. *1997 - Madeleine Albright becomes the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State. *2001 - 7 people, allegedly Falun Gong followers, attempted to set themselves on fire in Tiananmen Square. (known as Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident) *2002 - "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh returns to the United States under FBI custody. * 2002 - Reporter Daniel Pearl is kidnapped -- and subsequently murdered -- in Karachi, Pakistan. *2006 - After over 12 years of Liberal Party rule, Stephen Harper's Conservative Party wins the most seats in the Canadian federal election. Harper becomes the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada with a minority government, assuming office February 6. Births *1350 - Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (d. 1419) *1688 - Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden (d. 1741) *1719 - John Landen, English mathematician (d. 1790) *1745 - William Jessop, English canal engineer (d. 1814) *1783 - Stendhal, French writer (d. 1842) *1786 - Auguste de Montferrand, French architect (d. 1858) *1813 - Camilla Collett, Norwegian writer and feminist (d. 1895) *1827 - Takamori Saigo, Samurai, leader of Satsuma rebellion (d. 1877) *1832 - Edouard Manet, French artist (d. 1883) *1840 - Ernst Abbe, German physicist (d. 1905) *1857 - Andrija Mohorovičić, Croatian seismologist (d. 1936) *1862 - David Hilbert, German mathematician (d. 1943) *1872 - Goce Delchev, Bulgarian revolutionary from Macedonia (d. 1903) * 1872 - Paul Langevin, French physicist (d. 1946) * 1872 - Joze Plečnik, Slovenian architect (d. 1957) *1876 - Otto Diels, German chemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1954) *1884 - Ralph DePalma, Italian-born race car driver (d. 1956) *1888 - Leadbelly, American blues and folk musician (d. 1949) *1896 - Charlotte (d. 1985) *1897 - Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian independence fighter (d. 1945) * 1897 - Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, Austrian architect (d. 2000) * 1897 - Sir William Samuel Stephenson, Canadian soldier, W.W.II codename, Intrepid. Inspiration for James Bond. (d. 1989) *1898 - Sergei Eisenstein, Russian film director (d. 1948) * 1898 - Randolph Scott, American actor (d. 1987) * 1898 - Freda Utley, British scholar and author (d. 1978) *1899 - Glen Kidston, British aviator and racing driver (d. 1931) *1900 - William Ifor Jones, Welsh conductor and organist (d. 1988) *1903 - Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, Colombian politician (d. 1948) *1907 - Dan Duryea, American actor (d. 1968) * 1907 - Hideki Yukawa, Japanese physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1981) *1910 - Django Reinhardt, Belgian guitarist (d. 1953) *1915 - Arthur Lewis, British economist, Nobel laureate (d. 1991) * 1915 - Potter Stewart, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (d. 1985) *1918 - Gertrude B. Elion, American scientist, Nobel laureate (d. 1999) *1919 - Hans Hass, Austrian zoologist and underwater scientist * 1919 - Ernie Kovacs, American comedian (d. 1962) *1919 - Bob Paisley, English Football player and manager. (d. 1996) *1923 - Cot Deal, major league baseball player and coach * 1923 - Walter M. Miller, American writer (d. 1996) *1927 - Lars-Eric Lindblad, Swedish-American entrepreneur and explorer (d. 1994) *1928 - Chico Carrasquel, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 2005) * 1928 - Jeanne Moreau, French actress *1929 - John Charles Polanyi, Canadian chemist, Nobel laureate * 1929 - Patriarch Filaret of Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate *1930 - Derek Walcott, West Indian writer, Nobel laureate * 1930 - Teresa Żylis-Gara, Polish singer *1933 - Chita Rivera, Puerto Rican actress and dancer *1934 - Pierre Bourgault, Quebec politician and essayist (d. 2003) *1936 - Jerry Kramer, American football player *1938 - Shohei Baba, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 1999) * 1938 - Georg Baselitz, German painter and sculptor *1939 - Sonny Chiba, Japanese actor and martial artist * 1939 - Arlene Golonka, American actress *1940 - Johnny Russell, American country singer and songwriter (d. 2001) *1943 - Gil Gerard, American actor * 1943 - Millie Jackson, American singer * 1943 - Gary Burton, American jazz vibraphonist *1944 - Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor *1945 - Mike Harris, Canadian politician, Premier of Ontario *1946 - Arnoldo Alemán, ex-president of Nicaragua *1947 - Thomas R. Carper, American politician. * 1947 - Megawati Sukarnoputri, 5th President of Indonesia *1948 - Anita Pointer, American singer (Pointer Sisters) *1950 - Richard Dean Anderson, American actor * 1950 - Danny Federici, American musician (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) * 1950 - John Greaves, English musician (Henry Cow, National Health) *1952 - Robin Zander, American singer (Cheap Trick) *1953 - Antonio Villaraigosa, American 52nd Mayor of Los Angeles *1954 - Franco De Vita, Venezuelan singer and songwriter * 1954 - Edward Ka-Spel, English musician (Legendary Pink Dots) *1957 - Princess Caroline of Monaco * 1957 - Lou Schuler, American fitness journalist *1959 - Clive Bull, English radio talk show host *1960 - Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver and skysurfing pioneer (d. 1998) *1962 - Elvira Lindo, Spanish writer and journalist *1963 - Gail O'Grady, American actress *1964 - Mariska Hargitay, American actress * 1964 - Mario Roberge, Canadian ice hockey player *1967 - Naim Süleymanoğlu, Bulgaria-born Turkish weightlifter *1968 - Petr Korda, Czech tennis player *1969 - Andrei Kanchelskis, Ukrainian-Russian footballer * 1969 - Brendan Shanahan, Canadian ice hockey player * 1969 - Ariadna Gil, Spanish actress *1970 - Spiridon Vasdekis, Greek long jumper *1972 - Marcel Wouda, Dutch swimmer * 1972 - Mark Curry, American rapper *1973 - Lanei Chapman, American actress *1974 - Tiffani Thiessen, American actress * 1974 - Richard T. Slone, British artist * 1974 - Yosvani Pérez, Cuban baseball star * 1974 - Rebekah Elmaloglou, Australian actress *1975 - Tito Ortiz, American UFC fighter *1976 - Angelica Lee, Taiwanese actress and singer * 1976 - Nigel McGuinness, English professional wrestler *1979 - Larry Hughes, American basketball player * 1979 - Sampsa Astala, Finnish musician (Lordi) *1982 - Wily Mo Pena, Dominican baseball player *1983 - David Firth, British Animator *1984 - Arjen Robben, Dutch footballer *1985 - Doutzen Kroes, Dutch supermodel * 1985 - Dong Fangzhuo, Chinese footballer *1986 - Felicia Brandström, Swedish singer *1986 - José Enrique Sánchez, Spanish footballer *1986 - Steven Taylor, English footballer Deaths *1199 - Yaqub (b. 1160) *1548 - Bernardo Pisano, Italian composer (b. 1490) *1549 - Johannes Honter, Transylvanian Saxon humanist and theologian (b. 1498) *1567 - Jiajing, Emperor of China (b. 1507) *1570 - James Stewart, regent of Scotland (assassinated) *1622 - William Baffin, English explorer (b. 1584) *1744 - Giambattista Vico, Italian philosopher and historian (b. 1668) *1785 - Matthew Stewart, Scottish mathematician (b. 1717) *1789 - Frances Brooke, English writer (b. 1724) * 1789 - John Cleland, English novelist (b. 1709) *1800 - Edward Rutledge, American statesman (b. 1749) *1803 - Arthur Guinness, Irish brewer (b. 1725) *1805 - Claude Chappe, French telecommunications pioneer (b. 1763) *1806 - William Pitt the Younger, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1759) *1812 - Robert Craufurd, British general (b. 1764) *1820 - Prince Edward Augustus *1833 - Edward Pellew, British admiral (b. 1757) *1837 - John Field, Irish composer (b. 1782) *1866 - Thomas Love Peacock, English satirist (b. 1785) *1875 - Charles Kingsley English writer (b. 1819) *1883 - Gustave Doré, French artist, engraver, and illustrator (b. 1832) *1893 - Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1825) *1922 - Arthur Nikisch, Hungarian conductor (b. 1855) *1923 - Max Nordau, Austrian author, philosopher, and Zionist leader (b. 1849) *1931 - Anna Pavlova, Russian ballerina (b. 1881) *1937 - Marie Prevost, Canadian actress (b. 1898) * 1937 - Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist (b. 1876) *1939 - Matthias Sindelar, Austrian footballer (b. 1903) *1943 - Alexander Woollcott, American actor, author, and bon vivant (b. 1887) *1944 - Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter (b. 1863) * 1944 - Viktor Gusev, Russian poet (b. 1909) *1956 - Alexander Korda, Hungarian/British film director (b. 1893) *1958 - Nikolaos Georgantas, Greek discus thrower (b. 1880 ) *1971 - Fritz Feigl, Austria-born chemist (b. 1871) *1973 - Alexander Onassis, Greek heir of the Onassis family (b. 1948) * 1973 - Kid Ory, American jazz trombonist (b. 1886) *1976 - Paul Dupuis, French Canadian film and television actor (b. 1913) * 1976 - Paul Robeson, American actor, singer, and social activist (b. 1898) *1977 - Toots Shor, New York restaurateur (b. 1903) *1978 - Terry Kath, American musician (Chicago) (b. 1946) * 1978 - Jack Oakie, American actor (b. 1903) * 1978 - Vic Ames, American singer (Ames Brothers) (b. 1925) *1981 - Samuel Barber, American composer (b. 1910) *1983 - Fred Bakewell, English cricketer (b. 1908) *1986 - Joseph Beuys, German artist (b. 1921) *1989 - Salvador Dalí, Catalan artist (b. 1904) *1990 - Allen Collins, American guitarist (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (b. 1952) *1992 - Freddie Bartholomew, Irish actor (b. 1924) *1993 - Thomas A. Dorsey, American singer (b. 1899) *1994 - Nikolai Ogarkov, Soviet field marshal (b. 1917) * 1994 - Brian Redhead, English journalist and broadcaster (b. 1929) *1997 - Richard Berry, American composer and musician (b. 1935) *1999 - Jay Pritzker, American businessman (b. 1922) * 1999 - Prince Lincoln Thompson, Jamaican musician (b. 1949) *2002 - Pierre Bourdieu, French sociologist (b. 1930) * 2002 - Paul Aars, American racecar driver (b. 1934) * 2002 - Robert Nozick, American philosopher (b. 1938) *2003 - Nell Carter, American singer and actress (b. 1948) *2004 - Bob Keeshan, American actor (b. 1927) * 2004 - Helmut Newton, German-born photographer (b. 1920) *2005 - Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, British politician (b. 1921) * 2005 - Johnny Carson, American television host (b. 1925) * 2005 - Douglas Knight, American university president (b. 1921) *2006 - Ernie Baron, Philippine newscaster (b. 1940) * 2006 - Chris McKinstry, Canadian scientist (b. 1967) *2007 - E. Howard Hunt, American Watergate figure (b. 1918) * 2007 - Ryszard Kapuściński, Polish journalist and writer (b. 1932) Holidays and observances * Abakuh, an Egyptian Christian martyr * January 23 * Bounty Day, celebrating the burning of HMAV Bounty in 1790, Pitcairn Islands * Roman Catholic Church: Feast of Blessed Marianne of Molokai External links * BBC: On This Day * * On this day in Canada ---- Category:January